At Last
by Sean Montgomery
Summary: Rated T to be safe. This night for them could only be described in two words: at last.


Disclaimers: "Not mine," said the Writer. And there was weeping and wailing throughout her world...

Notes: This is my most recent entry to the 12 Days of Clois challenge. That last word is appropriate for this one - I certainly dipped into territory that I'm unfamiliar with, but, with the thumbs up from kalalanekent, I think I can be proud in posting it. She is the residing Lois Lane queen, after all (and if you aren't reading _Little Secrets_, you're seriously missing out on some of the best Superman fanfiction out there). Now that I've made her turn beet red and laugh at the screen... ;)

* * *

_At last_

_My love has come along_

_My lonely days are over_

_And life is like a song_

_At last_

_The skies above are blue_

_My heart was wrapped up in clover_

_The night I looked at you_

_I found a dream that I could speak to_

_A dream that I could call my own_

_I found a thrill to press my cheek to_

_A thrill that I've never known_

_You smile_

_You smile_

_And then the spell was cast_

_And here we are in Heaven_

_For you are mine_

_ At last…_

* * *

I can't believe it. 

I just can't believe it.

It was a blinding moment of sheer ecstasy, a moment where your whole world stops, time stands still, and your bones – your very being – feel weightless. I'm not one to try and deny that I've been here before, but this…

This was something different, something that I never felt before – never when it was so intense, so passionate, not even in that first time. You could even go so far to say that, in a way, this _was_ the first time. For both of us.

I can't believe it. God, I can't believe I can _think_ at a time like this.

His breaths were harsh and powerful, warm and moist against my neck – that was the first thing that registered. Every now and then, though I don't think he noticed, he would release the tiniest whimper, the only hint that he was tired, but completely content. Slowly, my world began to fall into place – a hand clutched in his tousled hair, the other wrapped against his back, a leg around his waist. It wasn't until I opened my eyes to try to gather myself that I noticed our breaths, deep, shuddering and gasping, were in unison. Together. One. Just as it always should have been.

I honestly can't believe it. This moment, right here, held in his arms and overwhelmed, was real. Not a fantasy, a late night dream that only brought frustration and longing, but reality. Blissful, sweet reality. I could feel a small smile curve my lips. If I wasn't so focused on catching my breath, I might've chuckled.

Finally, I felt his head fully sink into the pillows, his chest contracting with his deep sigh. I nuzzled the side of my face against his, releasing my grip on his hair and gently, soothingly, ran my fingers through the thick locks. I couldn't even imagine what was going through his head right now. Who could've known, really. Welcome to the world of Kal-El's sex life, chapter one written with complete enthusiasm by Lois Lane. Any response he gave to my caresses were slow at first, a slight gesture with his head when I gently kissed his cheek, the muscles of his back trembling when I removed my hand. After a moment, he lifted his head with a small, nervous smile on his face. I really wish he would have gone ahead and said what he was thinking; instead of giving me an idea why he was nervous – which gave me loads of interesting ways to reassure him of his newfound abilities – his face flooded with curiosity, a slight hint of panic. "Are you crying?"

I smiled gently. Against the fine sheen of sweat coating the both of us, I could feel the cool slide of tears mingling with the skin of my temple. I don't know if I would have noticed unless he mentioned it, but I knew he asked because he was afraid of hurting me. This man, with all of his strength, who was so tender in holding me during our first flight, who could level airplanes and bend steel with his bare hands, had never done anything remotely close to hurting me. If his concern hadn't been so tender, I'd almost think it annoying. He'd never hurt me. I believed he was incapable of it.

Of course, _he_ didn't know that. He virtually breathed fear when it came to hurting me. I closed my eyes and nuzzled my face against his, feeling a blissful smile curve my mouth. Resting there against him, I was momentarily lost. I _still_ can't believe I can think properly at a time like this…

"Lois…?"

"It's okay," I whispered, pulling back as far as I could and putting my forehead against his, staring straight into his eyes and feeling the blissful smile grow into outright giddiness. "I'm just…" Just what? Euphoric? Utterly satisfied? Thrilled that every dream I've had since meeting him had come true? Amazed that he wanted _me_ out of every broad in the entire world? "…speechless." Not the most eloquent thing I've ever said, but it was probably the most truthful.

He smiled, obviously relieved, and gave a breathless chuckle. Almost shyly, he whispered back, "Me too."

I really couldn't say how long we lay there, completely lost in the other while the world outside the Fortress walls – _was_ there a world outside the Fortress? – continued on its merry way. It wouldn't have been a problem stay in this bed for the rest of my life, but I guess he was thinking his weight was too much for me to handle after so much time. Gently, he rolled off of me. Sudden panic, out of nowhere, hit me as his lack of warmth made me shudder. He wasn't thinking of leaving, was he? I quickly wrapped my arms around his torso, bringing us close together again. "Wait… don't go." Stupid man. Being surrounded by him was probably the one thing that I wanted most in life. Couldn't he tell that by now?

He stopped, staring at me wide-eyed. With a grin, he lay down on his back and reached for me, settling my head in the crook of his neck, resting a hand on the top of my head while pressing a kiss to my forehead. "Where would I go?" The question was full of amusement. He gave me a gentle squeeze as if to say, "_I had never planned on leaving in the first place_." I moved just a little bit more, pressing myself into his frame, getting more and more comfortable as his unnatural warmth flooded over me, reminding me just how tired I was, but how completely and utterly content I could feel being in his arms. What a moment. What a night. Suddenly, all those sappy love stories about starry-eyed wonder didn't seem so sappy or ridiculous. I had many lovers before in my lifetime, but none of them had ever loved me back, and certainly not the way Kal-El did.

Kal-El. I could feel my mind running over the name as if I was practicing with my mouth. Kal-El. The lone survivor of Krypton. The man who was known at the_Daily Planet_ as Clark Kent. The man the world knew as Superman. Only I had the privilege of knowing the final half of who he really was. When he wasn't the hero in the cape or the everyday man from Kansas in the suit, he is the man who is most like himself in the one place he longs to be, kind of like a reporter hunting a story or a ball player on the field. I don't know if I would ever tell him, but I wanted Kal-El to feel most like himself – the last of Krypton, the reporter _and_ the superhero – in my arms. Only time would tell, I guess.

But then again, at this moment, we have all the time in the world.

I can't really lie and say I don't feel greedy. Having this man's complete and total attention throughout the evening has been nothing but bliss. It's kind of strange, actually – had I known he was Clark, I would have figured out that Superman had been giving me his undivided attention this entire time. Really, I'm surprised the world hasn't called for his attention tonight. Or maybe, just maybe, he's giving up his superhero act for one night.

Lois Lane, you selfish woman. Not the entire night, but at least several very _pleasurable_ hours.

That thought made me shift just a little closer to him, reaching a hand out to rest on his strong chest. Specific moments from the evening had been flashing in my mind; the irresistible color of red that had been staining his face most of the evening, the way his eyes, so intent, were so passionate and so focused at the same time, and how wide they got before closing in bliss when we shifted together. So was so unsure, so careful, that every moment I turned and surprised him was like watching a kid unwrap the one thing he wanted most on Christmas. Despite his flushed face (which, later on, I doubt had anything to do with embarrassment), his building confidence became more obvious in the little things – a touch here, a look there, small kisses placed just so, and even the more passionate ones on the mouth. In a matter of hours, he showed the potential to be an amazing lover.

I'm not one to usually brag on others' talents in bed, but my God… I could get used to this.

Listen to me. This moment is so much bigger than my satisfaction, or Kal-El's ability as a lover, or all the other little things we showed each other tonight. I can't really say that I've ever felt possessive over someone as much as I did him. Maybe because the name the world knows him by is because of me. The world knows him as Superman because _he_ came to _me_ and gave_me_ the exclusive, which gave _me _permission to name _him_ what I wanted.

As far as I was concerned, anyway.

No, this moment was about a union of souls, a deeper connection than two people can imagine. It wasn't one of those phony affairs of the celebrities or anything like that. This was simply two people uniting in love. At last.

The next question, of course, was how we were going to handle this relationship outside of these crystal walls. No one would ever believe that Lois Lane and Clark Kent had gotten together in one night of pure bliss (and rightfully so – the man was like a kid brother, for God's sake… at least, from what the office knew), so revealing our status as a couple was out of the question. I think. It would be easier to make the decision if Kal-El were awake and able to discuss this with me. Who knows? Maybe we could continue the act and carry on a relationship at the same time.

In a simple move that made me smile, I felt Kal-El's hand caress the skin of my arm, moving from my elbow to my shoulder slowly. The heat of his hand was addicting – his hands in general were addicting, but that subtle touch, so small and so profound, brought me out of the unknown and back firmly in the present. Dear God, how can I even think of the future in a time like this, when the single greatest moment of my life just happened and is, in a weird way, still happening now? Thank God I'm going to have him around to bring me out of my bubble. But only every now and then. My ability to look at the bigger picture is why I'm such a good reporter. If he even thinks he can steer me from a story… not like he ever would… he is still Clark, after all…

Suddenly, I was startled from my thoughts. Or was I startled…? My body felt heavier than it did minutes ago, and my eyelids were comfortably closed. It was only when I shifted a bit, taking a small breath through my mouth, that I realized I had fallen asleep.

Oh my God.

This was a dream, wasn't it? Suddenly all I could think about were the numerous times I had a fantasy about Superman, only to wake and find myself cuddled in an interesting position with my pillow. I didn't even know how long I'd been asleep. Oh, but this was the worst dream of all. It had felt so _real…_

I knew the only logical thing I could do was open my eyes and see if my brain had given me the most evil dream ever, but I couldn't do it. This time it had finally felt like the real thing. I almost wanted to stay in my imagination, to pretend he was beside me and holding me close in his arms, the world gone and replaced with a utopia that was populated by two people. After a moment, though, certain things began to sink in, like the feel of the satin sheets and the bit of skin I was touching with my fingertips. Something similar had happened like this before; thinking I finally met my wildest dreams with Superman, I woke up and found my arm asleep and dead weight over my pillow, while the fingers of my other hand peeped out from under the covers and touched the numb skin. I didn't want it to be a dream. I think I'd have to do something drastic if it were a dream… like maybe throw myself out a window at the _Planet_ to get Superman's attention…

Wait a second…

Suddenly the memories came crashing down on me. We were tracking a honeymoon resort scandal… I had suspicions about Clark being Superman (and why was I so comfortable with that thought, anyway?)… I shot Clark (and why on Earth was I more comfortable with _that_ thought?)… and he turned out to be Superman… and we flew to the Fortress (he has a _Fortress_?)… and he nearly burnt dinner (Superman _cooks_? He didn't mention _that_ in the interview)… and he finally, gently, brought his lips to mine and told me he loved me…

Yes, this could go down in history as the worst dream that ever entered a woman's mind. But something felt so _real_ this time…

Gathering the last of my nerves, I decided that I was going to have to discover a way to take care of my dreaming frustrations if Superman wasn't willing to help in that department. There was no better way to find the truth than to seek it out, though. Taking a breath, I opened my eyes half-way…

… and found that glorious bare skin, not the fabric of my pillow, met my eyes. Too excited to think, feeling a smile of relief gently curve my lips upward, I took another risk and opened my eyes completely by looking up… _is he really there…?_

Another sigh, but this one was because of his breathtaking features being above my face. It was real. It was Superman. No, it was Kal-El. The dark tone of his skin was highlighted by the bright reflection of the sheets around us, the Fortress walls still glowing with the life the structure seemed to generate itself. His lips – those addicting lips that I couldn't get enough of – were curved into a small, subtle smile. Everything hadn't been a dream. It had really, finally happened.

At last.

Shifting ever-so-slightly closer to him, I closed my eyes and sighed. Feeling more relaxed than I had in years, more than I had with any other lover, completely confident that things in life were only going to get easier because we had each other…

Well, no, that didn't make sense. Things in life don't get easier just because you have another friend. But the overall outlook – dealing with people, covering his identity, helping him save the world by being there for him – was only going to get easier for him. I was sure it'd be hell on wheels for me, but as long as his duty to the world seemed a little lighter… well, that was all that mattered. His concerns were mine now. The future, for all of its uncertainty, suddenly looked brighter.

It was only then that I felt I could drift to sleep properly. We would be okay. He could continue to save the world if I could get the exclusive. He could pine for me at the office, but he'd have me any time he wanted at home. And I could finally feel complete with my soul mate – yes, my_soul mate_ – by my side.

_At last. _

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**AN:** Special thanks, as always, to my beta ladies, htbthomas and alamogirl80! 

_What are you thinking?_

_Press the small purple button,_

_Please tell me your thoughts! _


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